Sugarbeet Growers Use The Off Season To Talk With Lawmakers

With warmer weather in the weeks ahead, sugarbeet growers will focus more on their fields and the 2023 crop.  But that doesn’t mean things have been quiet since harvest.  Samantha Parrott, Executive Director of the Snake River Sugarbeet Growers Association, says their growers have been hard at work over recent months advocating for issues vital to the ag industry, both at the state and federal levels.

She says when it comes to Boise, water was front and center.

"There's been discussions between the surface water users and the ground pumpers, so we're you know really wondering what the resolution is there.  Simply because we have growers that are on both sides of that issue.  So, we had lots of discussion about water and sort of put a plan in place for what we want to do as an industry and I think that involves a lot of education for our growers about what's currently happening with water what infrastructure improvements are being made.”

Parrott noted they are working to help growers get involved at the local or regional level, by joining irrigation districts, which he said will provide the sugarbeet sector with more seats at the table.  When it comes to the federal level, she says the number one issue is sugar policy, which falls within Title 1 of the Farm Bill.

“Because if sugar policy doesn't exist our domestic sugar beet industry isn't viable it won't survive without this policy in place.”

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com